Taxi app Uber has narrowed its quarterly losses but is still a long way from proving it can be profitable as it gears up to go public in 2019.

Under the leadership of Dara Khosrowshahi, who became chief executive in September, Uber has juggled investing in new markets while retreating from others where it was losing millions of dollars. It is building up services like food delivery and freight hauling as it seeks new revenue, and possibly a path to profitability, outside its core business.

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Uber’s net loss narrowed to $891 million (£701m) in its second quarter ending June 30 from $1.1 billion a year earlier (£866m). Its adjusted loss before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation was $614 million (£483m), down from $773 million (£608m) a year earlier.

“We had another great quarter, continuing to grow at an impressive rate for a business of our scale,” Khosrowshahi said in a statement.

The company had $12 billion (£9.4bn) in quarterly gross bookings, which includes rides and Uber Eats, up 6 per cent from the previous quarter and about 40 per cent from a year before.